The United States isknown to be the land of opportunities but recently it has been facing some backlash due to its ever-growing problem of unemployment. Even though the American government has proved to be highly efficient in taking care of the underprivileged, it would come as a shock to you to know that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice (8%) of those with no disability. This is a growing concern. There is a dire need to invest in our youth, to make it easier for them to get employment. Now make no mistake, this fight has to be fought with the combined efforts of the public and the government. Let’s have a look at some of the ways in which we can join hands with the government to help this cause.
Use Technology that is Labour-Intensive
There are insufficient employment opportunities due to the increase in the mechanization of agriculture. This has lowered the rates of employment in this sector. Both the sectors- organized and unorganized- should implement the use of technology that requires intensive labor, so as to provide more jobs considering population growth.
Expanding fiscal policy
In times of recession, the fiscal policy expansion has the power to reduce taxes to provide better income for the people. An example of this would be when President Bush cut taxes in 2001. The government can also increase spending on government projects to increase the number of jobs provided.
Promoting Education by Voting!
According to the International Labour Organisation, 71 million people, between the age of 15-26 are unemployed around the globe, most of them facing long-term unemployment. Not only does this high rate of unemployment affect national policies, it also hinders a businesses’ ability to generate higher growth due to a lack of literate and skilled young workforce. Higher levels of education reduce the possibility of unemployment.
Voting for political parties that promise to divert more funds towards education will automatically help our cause. Making education more accessible and cheap should be our priority.
Vocational Training
‘Every child is unique.’ The above-mentioned point also draws our attention to the need of vocational schooling and skills training for people who are not so academically inclined, in order to provide them with a set of skills that will assist them in providing for themselves. Many organizations like www.mersgoodwill.org have already started helping people in these ways. This reminds us of a very old saying ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’.
National Levy Scheme for Skill Shortage Areas
Similar to the UK, the USA should adopt a levy scheme to train and recruit young people in areas of skill shortage. Areas of work such as construction requires skilled workers for labor-intensive tasks. By providing the country’s youth with skill sets to be able to enter this workforce area, unemployment rates can be measurably reduced.
The youth is the future of any nation, and in order to help our country grow, we need to provide better education and training to the youth of our nation.